Jeep is now the Official 4x4 of Moab. The Moab City Council approved a two-year sponsorship agreement with FCA US LLC on September 8, 2026, in a 4 to 0 vote. It is the first formal deal between the city and the brand that has been tied to its identity for more than sixty years.
The deal, in short
$125,000 a year to the city in unrestricted funds, $250,000 over the two-year term.
Five loaned Jeeps for city use, which the city manager valued at about $100,000 a year in vehicles it will not have to buy.
Four presenting sponsorships a year: two trail projects, and two city events.
A media value target tied to "Official 4x4 of Moab" mentions in Jeep marketing.
What the council approved
The vote was 4 to 0. Councilor Jason Taylor recused himself, since he owns Canyonlands Jeep and Car Rentals and manages the Moab Adventure Center, and he did not want the appearance of a conflict.
City Manager Michael Black pitched it as a two-year pilot rather than a permanent arrangement. In exchange for the title, Jeep gets exclusive automotive sponsor rights with the city, presenting sponsorship of four annual events, and a license to use the city's name and logos in its marketing, with city staff reviewing the materials first.
The money is unrestricted, meaning the council can spend it on anything. Staff have pointed part of it at a new half-time marketing position.
The advertising commitment is the number reported in two ways. The staff report described a $10 million media value target over the term of the agreement. In the meeting itself, Black told the council the marketing support would be worth more than $10 million a year. Either way, it is a target rather than a guaranteed spend, and Jeep decides where and when the advertising runs.
Not everyone was uncomplicated about it. Councilors Miles Loftin and Colin Topper both raised the worry that a global brand's marketing could swamp the town's own identity, and asked for oversight of how Moab gets portrayed.
What the deal does not do
This is where most of the confusion lives, so it is worth being blunt.
It does not change trail access. The famous Moab trails sit on federal land managed mostly by the Bureau of Land Management, not by the city. A sponsorship agreement with a municipality has no authority over a BLM route designation. If you want to influence access, the federal comment periods are the place to do it, and we covered two open ones in the Roadless Rule and Travel Management explainer.
It does not make Moab a Jeep-only town. The exclusivity is about sponsorship. It means a competing automaker cannot buy the same city title or sponsor the covered events. Your Bronco, Tacoma, or 4Runner is as welcome on Hell's Revenge as it was last month.
It does not cover Easter Jeep Safari. That event is run by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers, a local club, under a BLM permit that has been required since 1982. The 2027 event runs March 20 through March 28. The club, not the city, decides its trails and its rules.
Why Moab, and why now
Moab has been a four-wheel-drive destination since long before it was a marketing line. The first Easter Jeep Safari ran in 1967 as a single-day trip, and it grew into a nine-day event that fills the town every spring. Jeep has used the town's rock for decades, both in advertising and in the concept vehicles it brings to the Safari every year, and it named a Wrangler trim after the place. We wrote about that trim in our Wrangler Moab 392 guide.
What is new is that the relationship now has a contract and a dollar figure attached. For the city, it is revenue that does not come from a tax increase. For Jeep, it is the right to say in advertising what enthusiasts have said informally for decades.
What it means for wheelers
The part worth watching is the trail commitment. Two of the four annual sponsorships are trail projects, and the city has said it will work with local stewardship organizations to pick them. Money for trail maintenance in a place that absorbs as much traffic as Moab is a real benefit, not a press release.
The test is what gets funded. Trail work that repairs erosion, hardens routes, and keeps bypasses from forming is the kind of investment that keeps trails open, which is the same argument we made in what closes a trail. Two projects a year in one town will not fix public land funding, but it is two more than most towns get.
If your own club does trail work, you do not need a corporate sponsor to get started. Our Trail Stewardship Micro-Grant awards $250 four times a year to volunteer trail projects, and the first deadline is September 30, 2026.
A desert scene and MOAB lettering cut for the passenger dash of a 2018 to 2024 Wrangler JL or Gladiator JT.
Frequently asked questions
When did Jeep become the Official 4x4 of Moab?
The Moab City Council approved the sponsorship agreement with FCA US LLC on September 8, 2026, by a 4 to 0 vote, with one councilor recusing himself. The agreement runs two years as a pilot.
How much is Jeep paying Moab?
$125,000 a year in unrestricted funds, or $250,000 over the two-year term, plus five loaned vehicles that the city manager valued at roughly $100,000 a year. Jeep also committed to a media value target for Moab mentions in its advertising.
Does the Jeep sponsorship change trail access in Moab?
No. The trails around Moab are on federal land, managed mostly by the Bureau of Land Management, and a city sponsorship agreement has no authority over route designations, closures, or permits.
Can I still wheel a Bronco or a Toyota in Moab?
Yes. The exclusivity in the agreement applies to sponsorship, not to who can drive the trails. It prevents a competing automaker from buying the same title or sponsoring the covered city events.
Is Easter Jeep Safari part of the deal?
No. Easter Jeep Safari is organized by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers under a BLM permit, separately from the city. The 2027 event is scheduled for March 20 through March 28.
Sources: Moab Sun News, The Times-Independent, and Red Rock 4-Wheelers. Jeep is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC. Jeep Decal Store is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by FCA US LLC or the City of Moab.
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